Nori (seaweed) bundle manufacturing line

Abstract

To provide a laver bundle production line capable of firstly bundling, producing, corresponding to any form of a bent laver bundle and a flat laver bundle, secondly excellent in an arrangement surface, a space surface, and workability and thirdly capable of readily realizing.SOLUTION: A converging device 4 of a laver bundle production line counts, converges, stacks, and arranges flat laver a, and carries it out as a bundle A of the flat laver a. A conveying device 5 conveys the bundle A of flat laver a that has been carried out toward a folding device 6. A stacking and extruding device 8 is attached to the conveying device 5 and includes a stacking section 10 that can stack the bundles A of flat laver a on the way, and an extruding section 11 that can push out the bundles A of laver a towards a flat binding device 9. The folding device 6 folds the bundle A of flat laver a that has been carried in. A bending and bundling device 7 bundles a plurality of folded bundles into one folded laver bundle B. The flat binding device 9 bundles the flat laver a of the bundle A extruded by the stacking and extruding device 8 into a flat laver bundle C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0003] , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a nori bundle manufacturing line. That is, it relates to a nori bundle manufacturing line that is used in the production process of nori and can bundle, manufacture, and handle both folded nori bundles and flat nori bundles.

Background Art

[0002] 《Technical Background》 In the production process of nori, after the pre-processes such as harvesting raw nori, washing, spreading, dehydrating, and drying, the nori is produced and shipped through the post-processes such as reversing, inspecting, gathering, folding, and bundling. That is, in the post-processes, the inspected flat nori is counted and gathered as a bundle of, for example, 10 sheets, then folded in half, and then bundled and shipped as a folded nori bundle. Regarding such a conventional example 1, there is also a conventional example 2 in which flat nori is bundled and shipped as a flat nori bundle without folding and bundling the flat nori bundle, and this is increasing due to market needs. The demand for conventional example 2, which bundles and ships 50 or 100 sheets of flat nori as a bundle, is also increasing. That is, the produced and shipped nori is often subjected to secondary drying and secondary processing such as roasted nori and seasoned nori afterwards. And in that case, regarding conventional example 1 in which it was bundled as the aforementioned folded nori bundle, the bundling was undone, the folding was stretched again, and it was subjected to secondary drying and secondary processing as the original flat nori. On the other hand, in order to save the trouble of stretching, there are also increasing numbers of conventional example 2 in which it is bundled and shipped as a flat nori bundle while being stretched.

[0003] <​​​​​​In the side-discharge type shown in Figure 3(1), the conveying device 5 was laid out with the conveying direction N facing the lateral intersection direction M relative to the conventional linear line direction L. In the straight-discharge type shown in Figure 3(2), the conveying direction N was laid out facing forward in the same direction as the linear line direction L (the side-discharge type and straight-discharge type will be described later). Then, bundles A of flat seaweed a were transported to the folding device 6, where they were folded in half, and then bundled in a folding and bundling device 7 into bundles of 10 sheets of folded seaweed B, which were then shipped. In the diagram, 16 is the stacking device, and S is the boxing space. In conventional technology, a dedicated seaweed bundle manufacturing line for conventional example 1, which involved folding, bundling, and shipping the seaweed bundle as shown in conventional example 1, was widely used. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] Examples of prior art relating to the above-mentioned Conventional Example 1 include those shown in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2. Furthermore, examples of prior art relating to Conventional Example 2, described below, include those shown in the following Patent Documents 3 and 4. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-122211 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-177720 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-101809 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-101810 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] 《Problems》 By the way, the following problems have been pointed out regarding these conventional technologies. For both the folded seaweed bundle B and the flat seaweed bundle C (see Figure 8), the challenge was developing a seaweed bundle manufacturing line that could handle bundling, manufacturing, and handling. In other words, there are limits to the overall space available for the nori production process, and the building where the nori bundle manufacturing line is located also has limitations on the available space. Therefore, there was a need to develop a nori bundle manufacturing line that could utilize the existing, widely used conventional example 1, i.e., the nori bundle manufacturing line for folded nori bundle B, without significantly changing its layout, and that could also accommodate the rapidly increasing demand for conventional example 2, flat nori bundle C.

[0006] Incidentally, prior art such as that described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 above had been developed. Patent Document 3, which incorporates Patent Document 4, also aims to address Conventional Example 2 by utilizing the seaweed bundle manufacturing line of Conventional Example 1 shown in Figure 3. In other words, Patent Document 3 has a configuration in which a device for changing the direction of discharge of bundles of flat seaweed (conveyor) is installed inside the bundling device, a bending device and a bending and bundling device are connected to one discharge side, and a flat seaweed bundle bundling device (flat bundling device) is connected to the other discharge side (see Figure 1). However, this Patent Document 3 required a significant change in the layout of the existing conventional nori bundle manufacturing line in Example 1. It required a major renovation of the building. The installation of the flat nori bundle device required an extra long distance and wide installation space between the drying equipment and the manufacturing line. Furthermore, in this Patent Document 3, since the folding and binding device and the flat binding device are located far apart, a large boxing space S is required for the boxing work for shipment. If a stacking device is provided for each, the respective retrieval points are far apart, resulting in poor work efficiency. Therefore, the challenge was to develop a new seaweed bundle manufacturing line with a configuration that could handle both folded seaweed bundles B and flat seaweed bundles C.

[0007] About the present invention In view of these circumstances, the seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention has been developed to solve the problems of the conventional technology described above. The present invention aims to propose a nori (seaweed) bundle manufacturing line that, firstly, can be used to bundle, manufacture, and handle both folded and flat nori bundles; secondly, offers excellent layout, space efficiency, and workability; and thirdly, can be easily implemented.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] 《Regarding Each Claim》 The technical means of the present invention for solving such problems are as follows, as described in the claims. Regarding Claim 1, it is as follows. The laver bundle manufacturing line of Claim 1 is used in the laver production process It is a thing, Count the flat laver do Bundle and stack death, Align By doing so, Unload as a bundle of flat laver possible Bundling device And from the focusing device The unloaded bundle of flat laver is sent to a bending device To a certain direction Convey possible Conveying device and, This conveying device On the way Is attached with Ta Stacking extrusion device and, Fold the loaded bundle of flat laver in half possible Bending device And, by the bending device A plurality of folded A bundle of flat seaweed Bind into a single bundle of folded laver bundles possible Folding binding device And from the aforementioned stacking extrusion device Bind the extruded bundle of flat laver into a single bundle of flat laver bundles possible Flat binding device The stacking and extruding device comprises a stacking section and an extruding section, each having a plurality of stacking members arranged vertically, each of which is movable up and down, and each can hold one bundle of flat seaweed transported by the transport device, and when stacking two or more bundles of flat seaweed is required, the stacking device is structured in such a manner that after a bundle of flat seaweed is placed on one stacking member, that stacking member rises and the next bundle of flat seaweed transported is placed on another stacking member, thereby enabling the sequential stacking of multiple bundles of flat seaweed. The extrusion section has a structure that allows one or more bundles of flat seaweed stacked on the stacking section to be pushed out in a certain direction by the flat bundling device.

[0009] Regarding Claim 2, it is as follows. The laver bundle manufacturing line of Claim 2 is, in Claim 1, The stacking section comprises a pair of horizontal shafts arranged at intervals in the width direction, which constitute the stacking members; free slides to which the base ends of the horizontal shafts are attached, and which are provided in the same number as the number of stacking members; vertical shafts to which each of the free slides is slidably attached; a vertical conveyor arranged parallel to the vertical shafts; a drive slide attached to follow the vertical conveyor and slidably mounted along the vertical shafts; and a plurality of locking pieces suspended below the drive slides and provided to hook onto the free slides. The structure is such that the drive slides move up and down in accordance with the movement of the vertical conveyor, and as the drive slides rise, the locking pieces rise, which hook onto the free slides and raise them, causing the horizontal shafts to rise in conjunction with them. Regarding Claim 3, it is as follows. The laver bundle manufacturing line of Claim 3 is Claim 2 In The extrusion section comprises a rod-shaped vertical shaft protruding from the upper surface of the conveying device, a horizontal slide to which the lower end of the vertical shaft is attached, a horizontal shaft capable of guiding the horizontal slide, and a horizontal conveyor arranged parallel to the horizontal shaft and provided to allow the horizontal slide to move forward and backward. The structure is such that the forward movement of the vertical shaft, which is linked to the horizontal slide, pushes the bundles of flat seaweed in the direction of the flat bundling device.

[0010] Regarding Claim 4, it is as follows. The laver bundle manufacturing line of Claim 4 is Any of claims 1 to 3 In The bundling device discharges bundles of flat seaweed in a number selected from 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 sheets; the bending device bends the 10-sheet bundles of flat seaweed that have been brought in; the bending and bundling device bundles 10 of the bent 10-sheet bundles together as one bundle of folded seaweed; and the flat bundling device bundles of flat seaweed that have been pushed out in quantities of 20, 25, or 50 sheets together as one bundle of flat seaweed with quantities of 50 or 100 sheets. Regarding Claim 5, it is as follows. The nori bundle manufacturing line according to claim 5 is Any of claims 1 to 3 In, The conveying device is laid out in a lateral intersecting direction with respect to the linear line direction leading to the bundling device, and the bundles of flat seaweed are transported to the conveying device laterally without changing their orientation.

[0011] Claim 6 is as follows: The nori bundle manufacturing line of claim 6 is Any of claims 1 to 3 In, The conveying device is laid out in a linear direction leading to the bundling device and extends forward in the same direction. Bundles of flat seaweed are then directly transported to the conveying device with their orientation changed by approximately 90 degrees. Claim 7 is as follows: The nori bundle manufacturing line of claim 7 is Any of claims 1 to 3 In, A stacking device for folded seaweed bundles, provided downstream of the aforementioned folding and bundling device, capable of storing multiple bundled folded seaweed bundles, and Provided downstream of the aforementioned flat bundling device, multiple Store the bundled flat seaweed sheets. possible A stacking device for flat seaweed bundles. The device further comprises either one of the above, or both of the stacking device for folded seaweed bundles and the stacking device for flat seaweed bundles. Claim 8 is as follows: The nori bundle manufacturing line of claim 8 is as described in claim 7, The aforementioned Flat bundling device and The aforementioned With the integration device Displaced in between, the above Stacking section for stacking multiple bundles of flat nori seaweed from a flat bundling device. , and, The stacked bundles of flat seaweed The aforementioned Extrusion section that pushes the material into the accumulation device The system further comprises a stacking and extrusion device for accumulation.

[0012] Regarding the effects, etc. Since the present invention consists of such means, it is as follows. (1) In the nori bundle manufacturing line, bundles of flat nori are transported from the bundling device to the conveying device. (2) Bundles of flat seaweed are transported by a conveying device, and can be stacked and extruded along the way by a stacking and extruding device. (3) Bundles of flat seaweed that have passed through the stacking extrusion device are folded in half by the folding device, bundled together as folded seaweed bundles by the folding and bundling device, and stored in the accumulation device. (4) In contrast, the bundles of flat seaweed extruded by the stacking extrusion device are bundled together as flat seaweed bundles by the flat bundling device and stored in the accumulation device. (5) The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is capable of bundling, manufacturing, and handling both types of seaweed bundles, namely, folded seaweed bundles and flat seaweed bundles. Furthermore, it is characterized by a layout in which a stacking and extrusion device for flat bundling is attached to the conveying device. (6) Thus, the seaweed bundle manufacturing line for folded seaweed bundles can be adapted for flat seaweed bundles without requiring a major change in layout or major renovation of the building. (7) In other words, in the side-dispensing type, flat bundling devices, stacking devices, etc. are laid out in an intersecting direction from the middle of the conveying device which is laid out on the side. (8) In the direct-discharge type, flat bundling devices, stacking devices, etc. are laid out in an intersecting direction from the middle of the conveying device which is laid out in front. (9) Therefore, a large space is not required for the bundling and production of the additional flat seaweed bundles. Also, since the folding bundling device and stacking device and the flat bundling device and stacking device are located in close proximity, the packing of the two types of seaweed bundles, namely the folded seaweed bundles and the flat seaweed bundles, into shipping boxes is also easy. (10) The present invention can be easily adapted to flat nori bundles by using an existing conventional nori bundle manufacturing line for folded nori bundles and adding equipment for flat nori bundles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] 《First Effect》 Firstly, we can bundle, manufacture, and handle both folded and flat nori bundles. The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is characterized by a layout in which a stacking and extrusion device for a flat bundling device is attached to the conveying device between the bundling device and the bending device. Therefore, the bending device and bending and bundling device can be used to bundle and manufacture bent nori bundles, and the flat bundling device can be used to bundle and manufacture flat nori bundles. In this way, the bundling of two types of nori bundles can be performed in the same workshop.

[0014] 《Second Effect》 Secondly, it excels in terms of layout, space requirements, and workability. The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is characterized by a layout in which a stacking and extrusion device for a flat bundling device is attached to the conveying device. Therefore, the existing seaweed bundle manufacturing line for folded seaweed bundles can be adapted for flat seaweed bundles without requiring significant changes to the layout or major building modifications. Furthermore, it does not require a large space between the drying equipment and the seaweed bundle manufacturing line. Since the folding and flattening devices are positioned close together, the workspace and boxing area do not need to be expanded when packing the two types of nori bundles for shipment. Even if separate collection devices are provided, the retrieval points for the two types of nori bundles are also close together, resulting in excellent work efficiency.

[0015] 《Third Effect》 Thirdly, this can be easily achieved. The nori bundle manufacturing line of the present invention utilizes an existing nori bundle manufacturing line for folded nori bundles, and by adding equipment for flat nori bundles to the layout, it can also be used for flat nori bundles. This nori bundle manufacturing line can be easily realized by adding components. Thus, the effects of the present invention are remarkable and significant, as they solve all the problems that existed in this type of prior art. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] The following is a side-dispensing type block diagram illustrating the configuration of the nori bundle manufacturing line according to the present invention for the purpose of explaining the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Figure (1) shows the binding of folded nori bundles, and Figure (2) shows the binding of flat nori bundles. [Figure 2] The following are block diagrams illustrating the configuration of a direct-dispensing type for the purpose of explaining the embodiment for carrying out the invention. Figure (1) shows the binding of a folded nori bundle, and Figure (2) shows the binding of a flat nori bundle. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating a conventional nori (seaweed) bundle manufacturing line. Figure (1) shows the bundling of a side-dispensing type of folded nori bundle, and Figure (2) shows the bundling of a straight-dispensing type of folded nori bundle. [Figure 4]Figure (1) is a side view (front view in the case of a direct-dispensing type), and Figure (2) is a plan view. [Figure 5] A stacking extrusion apparatus is shown to illustrate the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Figure (1) is a front view (side view in the case of a direct-dispensing type), and Figure (2) is a side view (front view in the case of a direct-dispensing type). [Figure 6] To illustrate embodiments for carrying out the invention, a stacking extrusion device and a stacking device are shown. Figure (1) is a plan view of the side-dispensing type, and Figure (2) is a plan view of the direct-dispensing type. [Figure 7] A bundling device is shown to illustrate the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Figure (1) is a side view of the process of dropping bundles of flat seaweed (front view in the direct-dispensing type), and Figure (2) is a side view of the process of unloading bundles of flat seaweed (front view in the direct-dispensing type). [Figure 8] The following are perspective views of nori (seaweed) for the purpose of explaining the embodiments for carrying out the invention. Figure (1) shows a folded bundle of nori, Figure (2) shows a bundle of flat nori, and Figure (3) shows a bundle of flat nori with protective paper. [Figure 9] To illustrate the embodiments for carrying out the invention, the first half of the stacking extrusion process using a stacking extrusion device is shown. Figures (1), (2), and (3) are side views (front views in the case of a direct-dispensing type) of the first half of the processes 1, 2, and 3. Figures (1'), (2'), and (3') are front views (side views in the case of a direct-dispensing type) of the first half of the processes 1, 2, and 3. [Figure 10] To illustrate the embodiments for carrying out the invention, the latter half of the stacking extrusion process using a stacking extrusion device is shown. Figures (1), (2), and (3) are side views (front views in the direct-dispensing type) of the latter half of the processes 1, 2, and 3. Figures (1'), (2'), and (3') are front views (side views in the direct-dispensing type) of the latter half of the processes 1, 2, and 3. [Figure 11]To illustrate embodiments for carrying out the invention, other examples 1 and 2 of the latter half of the stacking extrusion process 3 using a stacking extrusion device are shown. Figures (1) and (1') show another example (part 1), and Figures (2) and (2') show another example (part 2). Figures (1) and (2) are side views (front views in the direct-extrusion type), and Figures (1') and (2') are front views (side views in the direct-extrusion type). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Summary of the present invention The outline of this invention is as follows: The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is used in the seaweed production process. It includes a bundling device 4, a conveying device 5, a stacking and extrusion device 8, a bending device 6, a bending and bundling device 7, a flat bundling device 9, and the like. The bundling device 4 counts, bundles, stacks, and aligns the flat nori a, and then transports it to the conveying device 5 as a bundle A of flat nori a. The conveying device 5 transports the bundle A of flat nori a that has been transported from the bundling device 4 toward the bending device 6. The stacking and extrusion device 8 is attached to the conveying device 5 and includes a stacking section 10 that can stack bundles A of flat seaweed a along the way, and an extrusion section 11 that can extrude them toward the flat bundling device 9. The bending device 6 folds the bundle A of flat seaweed a, which was brought in by the conveying device 5, in half. The bending and bundling device 7 bundles the multiple folded bundles together to form a single bundle of folded seaweed B. The flat bundling device 9 bundles the flat nori a of bundle A, which has been extruded by the stacking extrusion device 8, into a single flat nori bundle C. The outline of the present invention is as described above. The present invention will now be described in detail.

[0018] 《Seaweed Bundle Manufacturing Line》 The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is used in the seaweed production process. In the production process of nori (dried nori), the raw nori goes through preliminary processes such as harvesting, washing, papermaking, dehydration, and drying, followed by subsequent processes such as turning over, inspection and sorting, bundling, transport, (folding,) and binding, before the nori is produced, boxed, and shipped. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the nori production process, the flat nori sheets a discharged one by one from the drying device 1 in the preceding process are first inverted by the inversion device 2 and their direction is changed in a crossing direction so that they are oriented in a linear line direction L parallel to the drying device 1. Then, they are inspected for quality and sorted by the inspection device 3.

[0019] The nori production process then follows the nori bundle manufacturing line, where folded nori bundle B and flat nori bundle C are bundled and manufactured. The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is used in such seaweed production processes and, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, includes a bundling device 4, a conveying device 5, a stacking and extrusion device 8, a bending device 6, a bending and bundling device 7, and a flat bundling device 9. Furthermore, accumulation devices 16, 17 and accumulation-type stacking extrusion devices 18 are often provided. The following describes this type of nori (seaweed) bundle manufacturing line.

[0020] 《Focusing device 4》 In the nori bundle manufacturing line, the bundling device 4 counts, bundles, stacks, and aligns the flat nori a, and then delivers them as bundles A of flat nori a to the conveying device 5. Typically, bundles A of flat nori a with a number of sheets selected and set for each line from 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 sheets are delivered to the conveying device 5. Depending on the number of sheets, a multi-bundle stacking section for stacking bundles A of flat nori a is provided and used as needed. As shown in Figure 7, the bundling device 4 includes a counting and bundling unit 12, a lifting plate 13, and an alignment unit 14. The counting and bundling unit 12 counts, bundles, and stacks the flat nori a (10 sheets in the illustrated example) into bundle A. The lifting plate 13 loads and lowers bundles A of flat seaweed a from the upper counting and focusing section 12 to the lower alignment section 14. In the case of the side-dispensing type, it descends in a straight line, and in the case of the straight-dispensing type, it descends after rotating by about 90 degrees. The alignment unit 14 aligns the bundles A of flat seaweed a from all four sides using an alignment plate, and then transports them to the conveying device 5 via the conveyor belt 15. The integration device 4 is as described above.

[0021] 《Conveying device 5, side-dispensing type》 The conveying device 5 uses a roller conveyor or the like to linearly transport the bundles A of flat seaweed a, which have been discharged from the bundling device 4, toward the bending device 6. From the perspective of reducing overall space, eliminating waste, and making the seaweed bundle manufacturing line more compact, there have conventionally been two types: the side-dispensing type shown in Figure 3(1) and the direct-dispensing type shown in Figure 3(2). In the present invention, Figure 1 is the side-dispensing type and Figure 2 is the direct-dispensing type. First, let's explain the side-discharge type with reference to Figure 1. In the side-discharge type, the conveying device 5 is laid out in a lateral intersecting direction M relative to the linear line direction L leading to the bundling device 4. Bundles A of flat seaweed a are discharged sideways to the conveying device 5 without changing their orientation up to that point.

[0022] In other words, in a horizontal-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line, the inspection device 3 and the bundling device 4 are laid out in the linear line direction L, but the conveying device 5 and the bending device 6 are laid out in a lateral intersection direction M with respect to the linear line direction L, and are oriented in the conveying direction N. Then, as mentioned above, the bundling device 4 has a lifting plate 13 that descends linearly without rotating. As a result, the bundles A of flat seaweed a that are being discharged are transported by the transport device 5 without changing their orientation, with their shorter side aligned with the transport direction N as shown in the figure. Then, the bundle A of flat seaweed a is transported to the bending device 6, where it is bent, and then bundled by the bending and bundling device 7. The above describes the side-discharge type.

[0023] 《Conveying device 5, direct output type》 Next, with reference to Figure 2, the direct-dispensing type will be explained. In the direct-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line, the conveying device 5 is laid out in the same direction forward, following the linear line direction L up to the bundling device 4. The bundles A of flat nori a are conveyed directly to the conveying device 5 with their orientation changed by about 90 degrees from what it was up to that point.

[0024] In other words, in a direct-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line, not only the inspection device 3 and the bundling device 4, but also the conveying device 5 and the bending device 6 are laid out in the same direction as the linear line direction L. Of course, the conveying direction N of the conveying device 5 is also oriented in the same direction. As described above, the bundling device 4 has a lifting plate 13 that rotates and descends. As a result, the bundle A of flat seaweed a that is being discharged changes its orientation by about 90 degrees and is transported by the transport device 5 with its shorter side aligned with the transport direction N, as shown in the figure. Then, the bundle A of flat seaweed a is transported to the bending device 6, where it is bent, and then bundled by the bending and bundling device 7. The direct-discharge type is as described above.

[0025] 《Bending device 6, bending and bundling device 7, stacking device 16》 Next, the bending device 6, bending and bundling device 7, stacking device 16, etc., will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In a side-dispensing or direct-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line, the bending device 6 folds the bundle A of flat nori a that has been brought into the conveying device 5 in half. The bending and bundling device 7 bundles the multiple bundles that have been bent by the bending device 6 into a single folded nori bundle B. Furthermore, the illustrated nori bundle manufacturing line includes a stacking device 16, which is located downstream of the folding and bundling device 7 and stores a large number of bundled folded nori bundles B.

[0026] These will be described in detail. The folding device 6 folds the bundle A of flat seaweed a that has been brought in into half by, for example, pressing a convex material between concave materials, as shown in Figure 1(1) and Figure 2(1). Typically, a bundle A of 10 sheets of flat seaweed a is folded. The folding and bundling device 7 bundles multiple bundles A of folded flat nori a with a binding band D such as paper tape to form a single folded nori bundle B (see Figure 8(1)). Typically, 10 bundles of 10 folded sheets each are bundled together to form a single folded nori bundle B. As the folding and bundling device 7, commercially available and known bundling and banding machines for bundling banknotes, sheet bundles, and other items are used. The stacking device 16 collects and stacks the bundled folding seaweed bundles B. The bending device 6, bending and bundling device 7, and stacking device 16 are as described above.

[0027] Overview of the stacking extrusion device 8 Next, the stacking extrusion apparatus 8 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In this seaweed bundle manufacturing line, a stacking and extrusion device 8 is attached to the middle of the conveying device 5. It is equipped with a stacking section 10 that can stack bundles A of flat seaweed a, and an extrusion section 11 that can extrude them towards the flat bundling device 9 midway through the process.

[0028] The stacking extrusion device 8 is typically used as follows: For bundles A of 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 sheets of flat seaweed a that have been delivered to the conveying device 5, the stacking extrusion device 8 functions as follows. If a bundle A of 10 sheets of flat nori seaweed a is selected, the stacking section 10 and extrusion section 11 of the stacking and extrusion device 8 will not operate, and the bundle will be transported directly to the bending device 6 by the conveying device 5. In contrast, if other bundles of flat seaweed a are selected, the bundles A of flat seaweed a with 20, 25, or 50 sheets are stacked multiple times in the stacking section 10, and then pushed out towards the flat bundling device 9 by the extrusion section 11. If a bundle of 100 sheets of flat nori (a) is selected, it will be extruded without being stacked. Similarly, if a bundle of 50 sheets is selected, it will be extruded in the same way.

[0029] Details of the stacking extrusion device 8 First, let's explain the stacking section 10 of the stacking extrusion device 8 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The stacking section 10 can stack multiple bundles A of flat seaweed a, which have been transported one bundle at a time by the conveying device 5, as needed, and can be raised and lowered, and stacked sequentially from the bottom. A sensor 19 is attached to the stacking section 10, and the sensor 19 is positioned at the leading end in the direction in which the bundle A of flat seaweed a is being transported to the stacking section 10. Therefore, in the case of a setting that requires stacking, the transport device 5 stops transporting based on the detection of the sensor 19, and the bundle A of flat seaweed a that has been transported stops at the top of the stack 10.

[0030] The stacking section 10 is equipped with multiple stacking members 20, and in the illustrated example, the stacking members 20 consist of two sets of horizontal shafts, two each for the upper and lower sections. Each of these members is capable of stacking and moving up and down bundles A of flat seaweed a that are stopped. In the illustrated example, the two sets of stacking members 20 allow the upper and middle bundles of flat seaweed A to be stacked sequentially while maintaining a gap between them, and then the gap between them can be eliminated afterward. In other words, the stacking members 20 can be raised in stages by the height dimension of one bundle of flat seaweed a plus α. By raising in stages, the bundles of flat seaweed a A that have been stacked can be stacked sequentially from the bottom up, while maintaining a gap between them (a vertical gap of α). (See Figures 9 and 10). Then, the stacking members 20 are lowered by the gap between them (a vertical gap of α), eliminating the gap between them. In the illustrated example, considering that three bundles—the first bundle (upper), the second bundle (middle), and the third bundle (lower)—are stacked, two stacking members 20 are used, one upper and one lower, for the upper and middle sections.

[0031] The stacking process of the illustrated stacking section 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. First, when the first bundle of flat seaweed a A reaches the position of the sensor 19 and transport stops (Figure 9(1) and (1')), the upper stacking member 20 of the stacking section 10 rises from below the transport device 5, loads it onto, and raises the stacking section by one level (Figure 9(2) and (2')). Then, when the second bundle of flat seaweed a (A) reaches the sensor 19 and its transport is stopped (Figure 9, Figures (3) and (3')), the upper stacking member 20 raises the first bundle of flat seaweed a (A) that it has placed on top by another level. Along with this, the second bundle of flat seaweed a, bundle A, is loaded onto the intermediate stacking member 20, which rises from below the conveying device 5, and raised by one level (Figure 9, Figures (3) and (3')). Subsequently, when the third bundle of flat seaweed a reaches sensor 19 and its transport is stopped, the three bundles of flat seaweed a are stacked with space between them in the illustrated example (Figure 10, Figures (1) and (1')). Then, as the upper and lower stacking members 20 each descend slightly, the bundles A of the first and second bundles of flat seaweed a also descend slightly, eliminating the gap between them (Figure 10, Figures (2) and (2')). In this way, in the example illustrating multiple bundles, three bundles of flat seaweed a (Bundle A) are stacked sequentially from the bottom up in multiple layers (Figure 10, Figures (2) and (2')). The first (upper) and second (middle) bundles of flat seaweed A are stacked on top of the third (lower) bundle A of flat seaweed via the stacking member 20.

[0032] Next, we will describe the extrusion section 11 of the stacking extrusion apparatus 8 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The extrusion unit 11 can extrude bundles A of flat seaweed a, which are stacked on the stacking unit 10 in the illustrated example and have their spacing between them eliminated, in a direction G that intersects with the conveying direction N of the conveying device 5. The extrusion unit 11 in the illustrated example consists of two vertical shafts and is capable of moving forward and backward in the intersecting direction G. The forward movement pushes the bundle A of flat nori a toward the flat bundling device 9 (Figures (3) and (3') in Figure 10).

[0033] Other examples are possible, as follows: By the way, in the illustrated examples (Figure 5(1), Figure 9, Figure 10), an example of three bundles was explained, but for other examples of multiple bundles such as two, four, or five bundles, the process can be carried out in accordance with the illustrated examples by increasing or decreasing the number of stacking members 20 on the stacking section 10. For example, in another example (part 1) shown in Figures 11(1) and (1'), one stacking member 20 is used, so that two bundles of flat seaweed a stacked on the stacking section 10 are pushed out by the extrusion section 11 as shown in the figure. For example, two bundles of A, each containing 25 sheets, are used, for a total of 50 sheets of flat seaweed a that are pushed out. Furthermore, in another example (part 2) shown in Figures (2) and (2') of Figure 11, three sets of stacking members 20 are used, so that the four bundles of flat seaweed a stacked on the upper part 10 are pushed out by the extrusion section 11 as shown in the figure. For example, four bundles of A, each containing 25 sheets, are used, for a total of 100 sheets of flat seaweed a that are pushed out. Thus, the stacking extrusion device 8 can be applied to various types of multiple bundles.

[0034] Regarding the drive mechanisms 21 and 22 of the stacking extrusion device 8: Next, the drive mechanisms 21 and 22 of the stacking extrusion device 8 will be explained with reference to Figure 5(1). First, the drive mechanism 21 of the stacking section 10 is as follows. The drive mechanism 21 of the stacking section 10 includes a vertical conveyor 23, a vertical shaft 24, an attachment drive slide 25, a free slide 26, and the like. The drive slide 25 is attached to a parallel vertical conveyor 23 and is guided by a vertical shaft 24, and is moved up and down. The free slide 26 is similarly guided by the vertical shaft 24 and moves up and down, largely following the drive slide 25. The number of free slides 26 corresponds to the number of bundles A of flat seaweed a to be stacked (in the illustrated example where three bundles are stacked, there are two free slides for the first and second bundles), and the base of the stacking member 20 is attached to each of them. Both the drive slide 25 and the free slide 26 are attached to the guide vertical shaft 24 so as to be able to slide up and down. Each free slide 26 is then placed on a locking piece 27 fixed beneath the drive slide 25. In other words, the free slides 26 are placed on and caught on the locking pieces 27 on the drive slide 25 side.

[0035] The driving process of the drive mechanism 21 is as follows: The free slide 26 and the stacking member 20 are lifted by their locking pieces 27 when the drive slide 25 is raised on the vertical conveyor 23, and they move upward accordingly. As previously mentioned, the bundles A of flat seaweed a are stacked on the stacking member 20 with intervals between them (Figure 10, Figures (1) and (1')). When the drive slide 25 begins to descend from this stacked state, the free slide 26 and the stacking member 20 also follow suit and begin to descend. When the stacking member 20 comes into contact with the bundle A of flat seaweed a below it, the stacking member 20 and the free slide 26 stop descending. This creates a small gap between the free slide 26 and the drive slide 25. Based on the detection by the attached sensor 28, the drive slide 25 and the vertical conveyor 23 also stop descending. As a result, the bundles A of the stacked flat nori a, as described above, have their spacing between them eliminated (Figure 10, Figures (2) and (2')).

[0036] Furthermore, the drive mechanism 22 of the extrusion unit 11 is as follows: The drive mechanism 22 of the extrusion unit 11 includes a horizontal conveyor 29, a horizontal shaft 30, a horizontal slide 31, etc. The lateral slide 31 is guided by the lateral shaft 30 and can move forward and backward on the lateral conveyor 29, and the lower end of the extrusion section 11 is attached to it. The horizontal conveyor 29 and the horizontal shaft 30 are arranged in parallel and intersect with the conveying direction N of the conveying device 5 in a direction G. Therefore, the forward movement of the lateral slide 31 and the extrusion unit 11 makes it possible to extrude the stacked bundles A of flat seaweed a in a direction G that intersects with the conveying direction N. (Figures (3) and (3') of Figure 10). The stacking extrusion device 8 is as described above.

[0037] Regarding the flat bundling device 9, stacking device 17, and stacking extrusion device 18: Next, the flat bundling device 9, the stacking device 17, the stacking and extrusion device 18, etc., will be explained with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 6. In seaweed bundle manufacturing lines of the side-dispensing type or direct-dispensing type, the flat bundling device 9 bundles the flat seaweed a of bundle A extruded by the stacking extrusion device 8 into a single flat seaweed bundle C. Furthermore, the nori bundle manufacturing line shown in the illustration also has a stacking device 17, which is located downstream of the flat bundling device 9 and stores multiple bundles of flat nori C that have been bundled together.

[0038] These will be described in more detail. As shown in Figure 1(2) and Figure 2(2), the flat bundling device 9 bundles the flat nori a of bundle A, which has been pushed out from the conveying device 5 by the stacking extrusion device 8, with a binding band D such as paper tape to form a single bundle of flat nori C (see Figures 8(2) and (3)). In the typical example where a bundle of 50 or 100 sheets of flat nori is bound together as a single bundle C, the flat nori a, consisting of multiple bundles of 20, 25, or 50 sheets each, is bound together as a single bundle C of flat nori. As with the aforementioned bent-type binding device 7, a commercially available, well-known binding machine or banding machine is used as the flat binding device 9. Binding is performed either directly, as shown in Figure 8(2), or via protective paper E, as shown in Figure 8(3).

[0039] The stacking device 17 collects and stacks multiple bundles of flat seaweed C that have been tied together for storage. Figure 6(1) shows a side-dispensing type production line, and Figure 6(2) shows a direct-dispensing type production line. In the illustrated example, a stacking and extrusion device 18 for stacking is installed between the flat bundling device 9 and the stacking device 17, along with a conveyor 32. The stacking and extrusion device 18 includes a stacking section 34 consisting of a stacking member 33 that stacks all of the multiple bundles of flat seaweed C from the flat bundling device 9, and an extrusion section 35 that pushes the stacked bundles of flat seaweed C towards the stacking device 17. The configuration and function of the stacking section 34 and the extrusion section 35 of the stacking extrusion device 18 are the same as those described above for the stacking section 10 and the extrusion section 11 of the stacking extrusion device 8. The flat bundling device 9, stacking device 17, stacking and extruding device 18, etc., are as described above.

[0040] 《Effect, etc.》 The present invention is configured as described above. Therefore, it is as follows. (1) In the nori bundle manufacturing line, flat nori a is counted, bundled, stacked, and aligned by the bundling device 4, and then transported to the conveying device 5 as bundle A of flat nori a (see Figures 1, 2, 4, 7, etc.). In a typical example, bundles of flat nori (seaweed) a, numbered from 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 sheets, are shipped out as bundle A.

[0041] (2) The bundles A of flat seaweed a that have been transported are transported by the conveying device 5 and can be stacked and extruded along the way by the stacking and extrusion device 8 (see Figures 1 to 5, 9 to 11, etc.). Representative examples are as follows: (a) In the case of a bundle A of 10 sheets of flat nori a, the setting is such that it is transported directly to the bending device 6. (b) In the case of a bundle A of 20, 25, or 50 sheets of flat nori a, multiple bundles are stacked the required number of times at the stacking section 10, and (c) in the case of a bundle A of 100 sheets of flat nori a, the setting is such that it is pushed out directly by the extrusion section 11 without being stacked. (ii) In the case of 50 sheets, there are cases where the settings are the same as for 100 sheets, meaning they are pushed out without being stacked.

[0042] (3) Bundles A of flat seaweed a, which are transported by the conveying device 5 and set to pass through the stacking and extruding device 8, and which typically consist of 10 sheets of flat seaweed a, are brought into the folding device 6 and folded in half. Then, the folded seaweed is bundled into a single folded seaweed bundle B by the folding and bundling device 7. The bundled folded seaweed bundles B are often stored in the accumulation device 16 (see Figures 1, 2, and 8(1)).

[0043] (4) Bundles A of flat nori a, which are stacked as needed in the stacking and extrusion device 8 and then extruded from the conveying device 5 to the flat bundling device 9, are bundled together as one bundle C of flat nori in the flat bundling device 9. The bundles of flat seaweed C, which are tied together, are often stored in the stacking device 17 via the stacking and extrusion device 18 (see Figures 1, 2, 6, and 8 (2) and (3), etc.). In a typical example, multiple bundles of flat nori (seaweed) sheets, each containing 20, 25, or 50 sheets, are bound together to form a single bundle of 100 sheets, known as flat nori bundle C. However, there are also cases where a single bundle of 50 sheets is used for flat nori bundle C.

[0044] (5) As described above, the nori bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is capable of bundling and manufacturing both types of nori bundles, namely, bent nori bundle B and flat nori bundle C. Furthermore, the layout is characterized by the attachment of a stacking and extrusion device 8 to a flat bundling device 9 to the conveying device 5 between the bundling device 4 and the bending device 6 of the flat nori bundle A. This makes it possible to accommodate both bent nori bundle B and flat nori bundle C.

[0045] (6) Furthermore, the nori bundle manufacturing line of the present invention can also be used for flat nori bundles without requiring significant changes to the layout or major renovations to the building of the conventional nori bundle manufacturing line used for folded nori bundle B. Thus, it is superior in terms of space and workability.

[0046] (7) First, regarding the horizontal-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line shown in Figure 1, it is as follows: The conveying device 5, the folding device 6 for the folded seaweed bundle B, the folding and bundling device 7, the stacking device 16, etc. are the same as in the conventional example shown in Figure 3(1), and are laid out in a lateral intersecting direction M with respect to the straight line direction L. Furthermore, the flat bundling device 9 for the flat seaweed bundles C, the stacking and extrusion device 18 for accumulation, the accumulation device 17, etc., are laid out in a crossing direction G from the middle of the conveying device 5.

[0047] (8) In contrast, the direct-dispensing type nori bundle manufacturing line shown in Figure 2 is as follows: The conveying device 5, the folding device 6 for the folded seaweed bundle B, the folding and bundling device 7, the stacking device 16, etc. are the same as in the conventional example shown in Figure 3(2), and are laid out in front of the linear line direction L. Furthermore, the flat bundling device 9 for the flat seaweed bundles C, the stacking and extrusion device 18 for accumulation, the accumulation device 17, etc., are laid out in a crossing direction G from the middle of the conveying device 5.

[0048] (9) Accordingly, the seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention does not require any more space than in the conventional example for bundling and manufacturing the flat seaweed bundles C. In particular, it does not require a long distance or a large space between the line and the drying device 1. Furthermore, since the bending and binding device 7 and the flat binding device 9 are located in close proximity, the boxing space S (see Figures 1 to 3) does not need to be expanded when packing into boxes for shipment. A larger workspace is not required. In particular, when accumulation devices 16 and 17 are provided, the extraction points for both are close together, simplifying the work.

[0049] (10) The seaweed bundle manufacturing line of the present invention is realized by utilizing an existing conventional seaweed bundle manufacturing line for folded seaweed bundles B and adding equipment for flat seaweed bundles C. By adding devices such as the stacking extrusion device 8, the flat bundling device 9, and further stacking extrusion devices 18 and stacking devices 17 for accumulation to the existing conveying device 5, it can be easily adapted for use with flat seaweed bundles C. The effects and other details are as described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] a. Flat seaweed A bundle of flat seaweed B bent seaweed bundle C flat seaweed bundle D Cable Tie E Protective paper N Conveying direction G cross direction L Linear direction M cross direction S Packing space 1 Drying device 2. Inverting device 3. Inspection equipment 4 Focusing device 5. Conveying device 6 Folding device 7 Folding and binding device 8. Stacking extruder 9 Flat binding device 10 Stacked part 11 Extrusion section 12 Count focusing unit 13 Lifting platform 14 Alignment section 15 Conveyor 16. Integration device 17. Integration device 18. Accumulation extrusion machine 19 sensors 20 Stacking members 21 Drive mechanism 22 Drive mechanism 23 Vertical conveyor 24 Vertical shaft 25 Drive slide 26 Free Slides 27 Locking piece 28 sensors 29 Horizontal conveyor 30 horizontal shaft 31 Horizontal slide 32 Conveyors 33 Stacking members 34 Stacked part 35 Extrusion section

Claims

1. It is used in the production process of seaweed. A bundling device that counts, gathers, stacks, and aligns flat seaweed, enabling it to be shipped out as bundles of flat seaweed, A conveying device capable of transporting bundles of flat seaweed discharged from the bundling device in the direction of the bending device, A stacking and extrusion device attached to the middle of the conveying device, A folding device capable of folding bundles of flat seaweed delivered in half, A folding and binding device capable of binding multiple bundles of flat nori folded by the folding device into a single bundle of folded nori, A flat bundling device capable of bundling bundles of flat seaweed extruded from the aforementioned stacking extrusion device into a single bundle of flat seaweed, Equipped with, The stacking extrusion apparatus has a stacking section having a plurality of stacking members, each arranged vertically, and an extrusion section. Each stacking member is capable of moving up and down, and each can hold one bundle of flat seaweed transported by the transport device. When stacking two or more bundles of flat seaweed is required, the stacking member rises after a bundle of flat seaweed is placed on it, and the next bundle of flat seaweed transported is placed on the other stacking member. In this manner, multiple bundles of flat seaweed can be stacked sequentially. The extrusion section has a structure that allows one or more bundles of flat seaweed stacked on the stacking section to be pushed out in a certain direction by the flat bundling device. Nori (seaweed) bundle manufacturing line.

2. The stacking section comprises a pair of rods arranged at intervals in the width direction, forming the stacking members, a set of horizontal shafts, to which the base ends of the horizontal shafts are attached, and the same number of free slides as the number of stacking members, a vertical shaft to which each of the free slides is slidably attached, a vertical conveyor arranged parallel to the vertical shafts, a drive slide attached to follow the vertical conveyor and slidably mounted along the vertical shafts, and a plurality of locking pieces suspended below the drive slides and provided to hook onto the free slides, The drive slide moves up and down in accordance with the movement of the vertical conveyor, and as the drive slide rises, the locking piece rises, which catches the free slide and raises it, causing the horizontal shaft to rise in conjunction with it. The nori bundle manufacturing line according to claim 1.

3. The extrusion unit comprises a rod-shaped vertical shaft protruding from the upper surface of the conveying device, a horizontal slide to which the lower end of the vertical shaft is attached, a horizontal shaft capable of guiding the horizontal slide, and a horizontal conveyor arranged parallel to the horizontal shaft and provided to allow the horizontal slide to move forward and backward, wherein the forward movement of the vertical shaft in conjunction with the horizontal slide pushes the bundle of flat seaweed in a direction toward the flat bundling device. The nori bundle manufacturing line according to claim 2.

4. The bundling device discharges bundles of flat seaweed in a number selected from 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 sheets. The aforementioned bending device is used to bend a bundle of 10 sheets of flat seaweed that has been brought in. The aforementioned folding and bundling device bundles 10 sheets of folded seaweed together as one bundle of folded seaweed. The flat bundling device bundles of 20, 25, or 50 sheets of flat seaweed that have been extruded into bundles of 50 or 100 sheets of flat seaweed. A seaweed bundle manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The conveying device is laid out in a lateral intersecting direction with respect to the linear line direction leading to the bundling device, and the bundles of flat seaweed are transported to the conveying device laterally without changing their orientation up to that point. A seaweed bundle manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The conveying device is laid out in a linear direction leading to the bundling device and extending forward in the same direction, and the bundles of flat seaweed are directly transported to the conveying device with their orientation changed by about 90 degrees. A seaweed bundle manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The device further comprises either a stacking device for folded seaweed bundles provided downstream of the folding and binding device and capable of storing a plurality of bundled folded seaweed bundles, or a stacking device for flat seaweed bundles provided downstream of the flat binding device and capable of storing a plurality of bundled flat seaweed bundles, or both the stacking device for folded seaweed bundles and the stacking device for flat seaweed bundles. A seaweed bundle manufacturing line according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The stacking and extruding device for accumulation is further provided, having a stacking section for stacking multiple bundles of flat seaweed from the flat bundling device and an extruding section for pushing the stacked bundles of flat seaweed towards the accumulation device, disposed between the flat bundling device and the accumulation device, The nori bundle manufacturing line according to claim 7.

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